The dramatic rescue operation unfolded late Monday evening as construction workers were hoisted to safety following a tunnel collapse at a major infrastructure project in Los Angeles.

At approximately 8:55 p.m., a handful of workers were lifted from the tunnel by crane, hours after the incident left at least 15 people trapped underground. The collapse occurred during construction on the $630.5 million Los Angeles Effluent Outfall Tunnel, a key wastewater project commissioned by the Los Angeles County Sanitation District.

The prime contractor, Flatiron Dragados, had described the tunnel on its website as a 7-mile-long, 18-foot-wide structure intended to enhance wastewater management across the region. Completion had been targeted for 2027.

Authorities continue to work urgently to locate the remaining trapped workers, with communication lines still down and access to the collapse zone severely limited.